Photographic-print-drying frame.



G. KEMLER.

PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINT DRYING FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15, 1912.

Patented July 16,1912.

UNITED srArrEs PATENT oFFIo C'HA'BLE'S Immune or came-op, annntorsp' rno'roo-imrnzc-rnmr-nnnue IBAHE.

To loll-whom itmay. concern:

.Be it known that 1, CHARLES .KEMLER, 1a

citizen of ;the United States, residing at -object theprovisionof a frame for use inare perfectly dry.

Chicago, in the county of. Cook and State. of

Illinols, have inventedmew-and useful Improvements in PhotographicPrinbDrying;

Frames, of ,which. the following: is a specification.

.This invention relates to photographicprint drying frames andhas forits main the artof photography,.and'-by ,means of which photographic prints may be dried into flat condition, after they have been developed. The prevailing style now in vogue, calls for sheet prints, that is, unmounted photographic prints. Instead of being mounted upon cardboards .or the like, they are loosely held in envelops or other containers. The difliculty which is encountered in developed, unmounted prints,

'is the tendencyof the print to curl orroll up toward the coated side. The usual method of drying prints consists in placing the wet prints between flat blotters and changing the blotters frequently until the prints are practically dry, but even with this slow and laborious process, the prints curl up considerably after they are removed from the blottrs.

One object of my invention is to provide a frame capable of gripping the edges of wet prints and holding them in taut condition exposed to the atmosphere until they Another object is to provide a frame arranged to hold the prints in a peculiar distorted condition, so that after they are removed from the frame, if there is any tendency for the gelatin or other coating to cause them to curl, said tendency merely will have the efiect of bringing the print into a flat plane, but not beyond such flat plane. 7

With these and other objects and advantages in view, this invention consists in the several novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated inthe drawing furnished herewith in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my invention, with a sheet of print paper held therein, part of the frame being broken out to illustrate its construction, F g- 2 i a plan of the frame in its. open con- Specification of Letters Patent. zPatented Jul y 16,1912. Applicationiflled Januarylli, 1912. Serial No. 871,187.-

. id-ition, Fig.:31-is aperspective view ofthe frame, partly in longitudinal section, Fig. 4-is; a; perspective view of the:frame with a sheet of-print-paperheld therein, the view being-partly-in transverse section, and Fig. I

5 is a, detail fragmental, cross section taken on theiline .5.-,5 Fig. 1. 4

In Figs. 1 to'5, of said drawing, a rectangular frame 10, is shown, which comprises two members 11, 12, hinged together at one end as by hinges 13, and having clamping. means 14, located, if desired, at

theend of the frame opposite the hinges and at its two sides, whereby the two mem-,

bers of the frame may be securely clamped together. The clamping means is here shown as comprising a hook member attached to one frame member and a cam like or wedge member attachedtothe other frame member, but it is obvious that any suitable form of clamp or clasp may be employed for clamping the two members together. The frame member 12,.is formed on its face 15,.with a continuous groove 16, paralleling the inner edges 17, of said frame member 12, and said groove is arranged quite close to said edge. On the face 18, of the member 11, is a continuous bead or rib 19, paralleling the inner edges,20, of the member 11, and arranged to enter the groove 16, of the member 12. The groove and bead are shown as of semi-circular form in cross section, but this exact shape is not material to the invention broadly considered. It is preferable, however, to leave a slight gap 21, (see Fig. 5) between the meeting faces of the two frames at their inner edges 17, 20, in order that the edges of a print, held by the frame, may be exposed to the atmosphere in said gap.

Inasmuch as the gelatin or coated side of the sheet print has a tendency to curl upwardly when dried, after being developed, I provide means in the frame for counteracting such curling effect. ThisIhave done by shaping the meeting faces 15, 18, of the frame so as to present curved lines, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the highestpoint a, of each curve being near the center of each side and end piece of the frame and the lowermost points I), of the curves being at the corners.

It is obvious that if a wet photographic print A, be laid (printed side uppermost) upon the frame member 12, with its edges member 11, be swung down upon the same and clamped thereto, the corners of the print will be drawn down, thereby distortmg the print slightly from a fiat plane. It is to be noted that the wedge-like rectangular bead acts to depress the four edges of the print into the groove, thereby causing the print to be held in a perfectly taut condition during its drying process. The print is allowed to remain in the frame until it is dry; it is then removed and the bent edges trimmed off. The tendency of the gelatin coated side to curl upward is counteracted by the downwardly bent corners to such an extent that the print assumes a flat shape, free from the disfiguring bulges or curled edges that result from drying the prints between blotters.

It is to be noted that both sides of the print are exposed to the atmosphere, when held in the frame, thereby permitting a free evaporation of the moisture contained in the print.

The use of the print drying frame is not limited for use in connection with photographic prints as it may be found convenient for use in other situations.

I realize that various alterations and modifications of this device are possible without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not therefore desire to limit myself to the exact form of construction shown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A photographic print drying frame comprising a pair of rectangular frame members arranged to be clamped together, face to face, said frame members having opposmg, curved, gripping faces conforming to each other, the highest points of the curves being located midway between the sides and ends of the frame members, and the lowermost points of said curves being at the corners of the frame, one of said gripping faces having a continuous groove therein arranged near the inner edge of said frame member, and the other frame member hav- 1ng.a continuous bead conforming to said set forth. v

' In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 13th day of January 1912.

CHARLES KEMLER. Witnesses:

CHARLES O. SHERVEY, FANNIE F. RICHARDS.

groove, substantially as and for the purpose 

